Wrench



T. PRENTICE.

wnamcu. I M JL ICATION FILED JUNE 6. 192!- Patented Nov. 21, 1922.

gnowni oz Patented Nov. 21, 1922.

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THOMAS PRENTICE, OF SOUTI-IINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE PECK, STOW &

VJILCOX COMPANY, OF SOUTHIIl'G-TON, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF. CON- WRENCH.

Application filed June 6,

T0 aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS PRENTICE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Southington, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Wrench, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to wrenches of the type having a rotatable nut for ad justing one jaw relative to the other one; and the aim of the invention is to provide simple and effective means for locking the nut against accidental rotation,

The figure of the accompanying drawing is a side elevation of the wrench with a part of the head broken away to show, more clearly, the improvement of the present invention. I

Referring to the drawing in detail, a is a handle having a head I) provided with an integral jaw 0. cl is the movable jaw carried by a base 6 slidably mounted in a slot f in the head and provided, on its under side, with a rack g. The head is provided with an aperture it in which is rotatably mounted, on a pin 2', the nut is having a worm or thread engaging the rack 9.

Referring now to the improvement of the present invention, 1O designates a screw threaded into a recess 11 in the bottom wall of the aperture it. The axis of the screw is preferably perpendicular to the axis of the nut h. It will be seen that when the screw is turned in the proper direction its head is jammed against the nut thereby locking the same in place, and thus eifectively preventing accidental or inadvertent displacement of the movable jaw from its adjusted position. Preferably, the worm of the nut is knurled to obtain a good bite between the nut and screw; also the head of the screw is preferably recessed or concaved to provide an annular edge or lip 12 .which, when in engagement with the worm nut, effectively locks the same against rotation.

It will be seen that the present invention provides an extremely simple means for 1921. Serial No. 475,204.

locking the nut is against rotation. The locking device may be very economically applied to wrenches, it being merely necessary to drill and tap the recess 11 and then insert the screw 10. The screw may be very easily turned into and out of engagement with the nut. It will further be seen that the screw is independent of the nut support, namely the pin, and when the screw is turned into binding engagement with the nut it does not tend to move the nut longitudinally of the pin.

It is, of course, obvious that my invention is susceptible of various modifications and changes which are within the spirit of the invention without departing from the scope of the following claims, it being understood that the present disclosure of my invention is by way of illustration only and it is not to be taken as restrictive of my conception.

I claim as my invention 1., In a wrench, a handle provided with a head having a jaw and a transverse aperture, a movable jaw having a rack slidably mounted in said. head, a rotatable worm nut journalled in said aperture and engaging said rack, and a screw mounted in said head at an angle to the axis of said nut and adapted for binding engagement with the periphery thereof.

2. In a wrench. provided with a lined jaw and a movable cooperating jaw, means for moving the latter including a worm nut and a support therefor, and a screw having an annular edge adapted to be engaged with said nut.

3. In a wrench, a handle provided with a head having a jaw and a transverse aperture, a movable jaw havinga rack slidably mounted in said head, a rotatable worm nut journalled in said aperture and engaging said rack, and a screw mounted in said head at an angle to the axis of said nut and having a concave end adapted for binding engagement with the periphery thereof.

THOMAS PTRENTICE. 

